Golf-ball washer



Nov. 11, 1930. l E, M. LAING 1,781,113

Gom' BALL WASHER Filed July 13, 1928 /////////////////l/l7////l//////// rims Patented Nov. 11, 1930 l l l l* f vUNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application led July 13, 1928.h Serial No, 292,491.k

This invention relates to a golf ball washer, form, comprises an upright post 1 having/an and more particularly to an improved appaoutstanding collar or flange 2 below the cylinratus that may be located near atee for eX- drical upper end 3 onv hich is. rotatably editiously and efficiently CleaningY a golf mounted the collar 4. j A i j o 5 all. j Y o The horizontal cover plate 5 of the golf 50 The principal object of the inventionv is to ball washer isl formed at4 one side with an provide an improved means for reciprocatf upstanding vertical flange @which is vsecured inga golf ball y between a pair of brushes imby bolts 7 to the supporting collar4..f The inersed in a ,cleaning liquidsuch as water, cover plate 5 is .formed with a longitudinally m thismeans being adapted to rotatethe ,ball so extending central slot 8, and at either side of 55 asto expose different surfaces thereof to the this slot are upstandi'ng anges or'bracketsQ brushes. In the specific form here disclosed, and 1.0, the bracket'lO'being connected with the ball-holder is provided with anelongated flange 6 by the strengthening web" 11.V v slot oropening in which the ball moves bodily i A lever 12is provided at an `intermediate 2;, from end to end of the slot at each change of point with a pivot vopeningkl, by means of '@51 the direction of reciprocation of the ballwhich it is fulcrumed v on the shaft 1li jour- Y holden Aninclined bar at one side of the naledin the flanges'or brackets 9' and 10.l 1.A opening provides -a surface which engages pair' 'ofcover flaps 15, adapted to normally one side of the ball, and on which the ball close lthe'slot 8, have ears 16 pivoted on shaft 2e rolls during this movement from end to 'end 14. at'either side of the lever 12.. The longer 65 of the'slot, seas to rotate the ball about an upper arm 17 of lever 12 is formed. as an '7 axis inclined at an acute Aangle to the path of operating handle which may be oscillated bodilyh movement of the ball,`so as to bring back and forth through' an arc of substannew faces of the ,ballinto engagementwith tially'180o above the horizontal plane of the "s the brushes. A Y top of plate. 5.' During this movement the A7 0 Another Objectis to provide improved shorter lower arm 18|` of lever 12 will project means for adjusting the brushes toward or ,downwardly through'slot 8 in cover plate 5', from the ball-holding member. l and be oscillated therebeneath. Y j

Other objects and advantages of this' in A pair of similar 'brushes or other equiva- 3o vention will be more apparent from the follent scrubbing devices aremounted op- 'Tf lowing detailed description of oneapproved posed positions beneath the plate 5;, the backs form of the apparatus. 19 of the brushes being secured tothe bot- Inthe accompanying drawings: Y tom of plate 5x` by screws 2()V whichpass Fig. 1 is a` transverse verticalv section through slotsr21 elongated transversely of 35 through the apparatus, the'view being taken the plate 5. The slots 21 permit the brushes so Asubstantially on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. to be adjusted toward or from one another. F ig. 2 is a Vlongitudinal vertical` section vThe bristles 22 of the rbrushes project toward taken substantially on thelin'e 2 2 of F ig. l. y one another so that the space therebetween Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views, showing is less than the diameter of the golf ball. the ball-holder and ball in different positions The lower end 18" ofthe lever 12 isadapted sa from that shown in Fig. 2. lto oscillate between these brushes. F ig. 5 is a transverse section through the A11 openrtopped receptacle 23 for holding ball-holder, the view being taken substan* the water or other cleaning liquid sustially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. pende'd beneath cover plate 5 in any suitable i5 The supporting standard, of any' suitable manner. As here shown, laterally project- 9V ing ears 24 on Vplate 5are received between' pairs of similar ears on receptacle `23, and pins Y 25 passed through these ears serve to support the receptacle 28. A downwardly projecting flange 26 :on the lower face 'of plateeA litsk within'ieceptacle 23and holds thev receptacle in properly centeredposition.

' The'lo'wer end of arm-18-of lever 12 is eX-I` i pandedinto the form of a loopv 27-k which en the ball, are4 of ,substantiallyfless thicknessv closes an elongated opening 28, this opening being of slightly greater Width ythan the diameter ofakgolfball and of considerably vgreater length, so' thatithe golf ball mayhave a substantially bodily movement from end ballbetween the brushes 22. will be noted that the lever12, and the loop 2,7 for-holding thanthe diameter ofthe golf-.ball so -that the vball, will project at either side of the loop' into engagement with the ybristles 22' of the brushes. AAn, integral cross-bar 29extends ydiagonally of the .elongated opening 2:8l at one-side. of the loop 27 sothat as the ball moves vfrom one end'to theother ofthe open- ['30, cross bar.V

' v van acutean'gle-to the path of bodily moveing 28, one side thereof will roll along the Since the crossfbar 29 extends at inentof the hall along said opening, a rolling movement will be imparted to the ballby this k35.

Abar about an axis1also. positionedoat an angle to the length of the elongated opening 28.' Ihis'willcontinnally causeV new portions ofV Vthe'balltobe exposed'tothe brushes 22. l

. ,When the handle 17 is swung down tothe right to the dotted lineposition shown inY Fig. 2, the ball-holding loop 27 will be elevatedout v ofthe receptacle 23 tothe-'dotted line position, carrying one-of the flaps 15 upwardly with it, so that a'ball 80 may be inserted within the opening'28.: The handle v1'? is then vswung, upwardly and Vvoscillatedlback and'V forthso 'as to oscillate the lower end'18 ofthe lever` and the ball-holder1-27 between the brushes 22. l, As the leverl? is first swung lin the di'rectionof the arrow a f( Fig. 42) Iand the ball-holding yloop 27 vislmoved in the direction of the-,arrow fb, the'ball,30,as,soon as it has engaged the brushesy 22, willbe moved to the rear` end of slotoropening`28 vinthe direct-ion of the, arrow cfmoving'from the dotted line position to ,thev positionA shown in fiill lines Vto in. Fig. 2. Theball will' remain in thisposition untilthe end of this strokeofthe lever,

at which Atime the ball and Vball-holder Will be in substantiallythepositions shown in Fig.

4. `'Whenthe opposite stroke ofv the lever starts, in the directionof vthe arrowd (Fig.

3), the ball, which is retarded by its engagement with the brushes,will be moved bodily yto the upper end of opening 28 in the direcwith and roll along the transverse bar" 29 Vso that, asalready described, new Yfaces of the.l ball, will-be exposed to thebrushes. l At the next change of directionof the lever, the ball ltion of the arrow e, until it lreaches the posiltion shownin FigLB. During this bodily `movement of the ball lengthwise of. slot or 'Y opening.28,.one side ofthe ball will engage v will again kmove to the other end ofthe slot,

in the direction indicatedby the arrow c (Fig. 2) again rolling .along the cross-bar 29 to expose-new faces ofthe ball to the brushes.

The pivotedfflaps 15j normally close thex slot 8 so as to prevent V'splashing duringfthe;

cleaningoperation, andto prevent evaporation of the cleaning liquid when'the device'is not'. in use.

These flaps are automatically lifted by the ballholder when it is swung out l ofthe receptacleateither side, and close automatically by theirr own weight. f 'By simply removing the pins 25, the receptacle 23 may be removed tof clean the same or to renewthe supply of liquid therein.

- Itwill be noted that lthe entirev assembly is carried by the collar l at the upper end of post 1 so 'that the washer may beV conveniently swungto any position about thepost. In a copending application, Serial No.289,835,

filedJuly 2, 1928, I have shown a reservoir foran additional supply of' cleaning liquid,

this reservoir alsogbeing carried by the collar l f4, bul-, at thejopposite side ofthepost vfrom ,receptaclei28 andlprovided with means for automatically replenishing the liquid supply o withinreceptacle 2 8. `In said copending'ap'- plication'this reservoir is shown 'in connectionr`` with a somewhat differentform of gol-f ball,` washer, but it is .to be understood that the yreservoir is equally adapted for use with the present preferredform' of thewasher.

Itwillbe noted that astheball 30 moves `from en'd to end ofthe slot 28, whie'h is inclined tothe arcuate path of travel ofthe ball,

yit will engage new portions'of the brushes. Y'In this way all .of thewear ,does` not. fall along Y a-'single path inthebru'shes and the effective life "of the brushes is increased.

While water will ordinarilybe sullicient as a cleaning agent, itis to be understood that other cleaning fluids vmay be jused in this ap- Also other means than brushes] paratus. might beusedias scrubbing agents, for exthe following claims, the term brushes is intended to cover all Iclain1`:

1 `1. Afgolf ball'cleanereomprising arrecep-VV Y `ta'cle fory holdingliquid,a pair of opposed brushes mountedinthe receptacle, amember mounted for reciprocation between the. brushes, the, member being of less'thickness than the diameter offa golf ball and formed such equivalent' devices. 'f

ample, pads offelt or similar material. v In@v V Y l with an opening of sufficient size to permit the' ball to movebodily therein, and means carried by the member-'and extending over. the

opening at one side thereof for engaging the ball and causing it to rotate about an aXis inclined at an angle` to the path of bodily movement of the ball as the ball moves from one side of the opening to the other.

2. A golf ball cleaner comprising a receptacle for holding liquid, a pair of opposed brushes mounted in the receptacle, a member mounted for reciprocation between the brushes, the member being of less thickness than the diameter' of a golf ball and formed with an elongated opening for receiving a golf ball, and a cross bar on said member positioned diagonally of the opening at one side thereof, the ball having a rolling engagement with the bar as it moves from one end of the opening to the other. v

3. A'golf ball cleaner comprising a receptacle for holding liquid, a pair of opposed brushes mounted in the receptacle, and a member pivoted intermediately above the receptacle and formed with an upper' Ihandle portion, and a lower portion of less thick-- ness than the diameter of a golf ball and adapted to swing. between the brushes, the member being formed with an opening in its lower portion for loosely receiving a golf ball and means carried by the member for engaging one side of the ball to cause it to rotate as the member is oscillated about its pivot.

4. A golf ball cleaner comprising a receptacle for holding liquid, a pair of opposed brushes mounted in the receptacle, and a member pivoted intermediately above the receptacle and formed with an upper handle portion, and a lower portion of less thickness than the diameter of a golf ball and adapted to swing between the brushes, the member being formed with an elongated opening in its lower portion for receiving a golf ball, and a cross bar on said member positioned diagonally of the -opening at one side thereof, the ball having rolling engagement with the bar as it moves from one end of the opening to the other.

5. A golf ball cleaner comprising a receptacle for holding liquid, a closure for the receptacle having a central slot therein, a pair of opposed brushes mounted on the lower face of the closure at either side of the slot so as to project down into the receptacle, means for securing the brushes to the closure permitting adjustment of the brushes toward 0rv from one another, and a member carried vby the closure and projecting through the slot sok as to move between the brushes, the lower portion of the member being formed to loosely carry a golf ball.

6. A golf ball cleaner comprising a receptacle for holding liquid, a closure for the receptacle having a relatively large longitudinal slot therein and a plurality of small transverse slots, a pair of opposed brushes carried beneath the closure and projecting down into the receptacle, securing means passing down through the transverse slots and engagy ing the brushes to support same from the clodown throughfthe longitudinal slot so that the lower end thereof will swing between the brushes, this member being kof less thickness than a golf balland formed withan opening for looselyv receiving the ball. Y

EDWARD M. LAING. 

